Projectile motion is the motion of an object thrown or launched into the air, subject only to the force of gravity. The object follows a curved path called a parabola, with gravity being the only force acting on it when we ignore air resistance.
Projectile motion can be broken down into two independent components. The horizontal component moves with constant velocity and no acceleration. The vertical component experiences accelerated motion due to gravity acting downward. These two components work independently but combine to create the curved parabolic path.
The motion of a projectile can be described using specific equations. For horizontal motion, position x equals initial velocity times cosine of the launch angle times time, and horizontal velocity remains constant. For vertical motion, position y includes the effect of gravity, and vertical velocity decreases over time due to gravitational acceleration.
Projectile motion appears everywhere in our daily lives. From a basketball shot into a hoop to water flowing from a fountain, these are all examples of objects following parabolic paths under the influence of gravity. Understanding projectile motion is crucial in sports, engineering, and many other fields.
To summarize what we have learned about projectile motion: it describes the curved path of objects moving under gravity alone. The motion consists of independent horizontal and vertical components, with constant horizontal velocity and changing vertical velocity due to gravity. Mathematical equations help us predict the motion, and this concept has wide applications in sports, engineering, and physics.